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Meet Tyler Favreau

By MICHAEL LETENDRE
STAFF WRITER
PLAINVILLE – When you graduate high school as a state champion in baseball, you must have attended class in Plainville.
And its most recent batch of seniors enjoyed an amazing 2012 campaign – resulting in a Class M championship – and those players managed to play in a couple state tournament games this past year.
Tyler Favreau was a big part of both those teams, saving the 2012 championship game in a 3-1 win over Haddam-Killingworth while also seeing some action out of the bullpen in 2013.
But Favreau isn’t done playing ball and has a golden opportunity this fall to establish himself during his freshman year as a pitcher at Central Connecticut State University.
From being called to the infield in a huge defensive stop in a playoff game this past season against Northwestern, to the highs and lows of baseball this past season, to getting a chance at playing in college, Favreau has almost seen it all.
The Plainville Observer caught up with Favreau on Monday, July 21 on Alumni Field as he was preparing for his college tryout:
Plainville Observer: Off the Class M 2012 championship, were you a little disappointed in the spring baseball season?
Tyler Favreau: Yes, very disappointed. I thought very disappointing after a state championship. Definitely. I mean, you knew they (opponents) were going to come after us and we felt prepared. We just didn’t get the job done.
Plainville Observer: Did it feel like you have a bull’s eye on your back this season because it truly looked like every team was gunning for you. Did you feel like the hunted out there?
Tyler Favreau: Oh definitely. I mean we saw every team’s number one (pitcher). I mean every team threw everything they had at us. They’d run any trick play they had. They’d squeeze when they were able to squeeze and took advantage of the opportunities that they had.
Plainville Observer: You played tremendous baseball schools like Southington, Conard, St. Paul of the Naugatuck Valley League…your schedule was brutal. You had to face the best out there…
Tyler Favreau: We did but I mean, playing the best in the regular season only prepares us better for the tournament. I mean that’s what helped us in 2012. We played the better schools and by the time we got to tournament, we were ready.
Plainville Observer: Northwestern, the extra infielder Plainville used in the eighth inning…
Tyler Favreau: I was that extra infielder… (Favreau came in from left field and played as an extra infielder. With one out, a ground ball to second base led to a inning ending double play and got Plainville out of a huge jam).
Plainville Observer: That’s why I brought it up. How cool was that? It worked to perfection didn’t it?
Tyler Favreau: It was pretty cool. I mean I’ve seen it done once in a while. I never expected to be a part of it, none-the-less be that extra infielder playing up the middle. It was pretty cool. I mean, it worked so it’s even cooler.
Plainville Observer: The American Legion baseball season this past summer. A little disappointing as well?
Tyler Favreau: Legion was disappointing. We had a couple kids coming back from the 2012 year. We thought we’d be better than the high school season but once again, the focus definitely wasn’t there for Legion.
Plainville Observer: I know you’re headed to Central Connecticut State University. Any plans on tying out for the baseball team there?
Tyler Favreau: He (CCSU head coach Charlie Hickey) offered me six weeks on the active list in the fall season. So when I go there in the fall, I’m on the team for six weeks to try to win my spot for the season. He told me most walk-ons only get about two days (to make the team). I have the whole fall season, which is a pretty legit offer. That’s why I’m out here right now (at Alumni Field), trying to take advantage of it.